Ranking the 5 Most Likely Teams to Upset the Steelers' Undefeated Season
The Pittsburgh Steelers are 8-0 for the first time in franchise history. With half of the season remaining, it's not outlandish for fans to begin dreaming about an undefeated season.
Pittsburgh has a fairly complete roster and will face a relatively forgiving remaining schedule.
Going 16-0 isn't easy, of course. It's happened just once during the modern era (2007 New England Patriots), so it's fair to wonder which team can hand the Steelers their first loss of 2020.
We're going to dive headfirst into that question, analyzing the matchups, the recent history and the timing of each of Pittsburgh's eight remaining games. We'll rank the five teams most likely to defeat the Steelers based on these factors.
Which teams have the best chance of ending Pittsburgh's undefeated run? Let's take a look.
The Remaining Schedule
1 of 7
Week 10: vs. Cincinnati Bengals
Week 11: at Jacksonville Jaguars
Week 12: vs. Baltimore Ravens
Week 13: vs. Washington Football Team
Week 14: at Buffalo Bills
Week 15: at Cincinnati Bengals
Week 16: vs. Indianapolis Colts
Week 17: at Cleveland Browns
Dark Horses: Cleveland Browns and Jacksonville Jaguars
2 of 7
We have to note that either the Browns or the Jaguars could knock off the Steelers under the right conditions. The Dallas Cowboys proved in Week 9 that Pittsburgh isn't flawless, and Cleveland and Jacksonville are going to come at the AFC rival Steelers hard.
"We get everybody's best punch, regardless of record," Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin told reporters Sunday.
However, Jacksonville isn't very good. The Jaguars haven't won since Week 1, rank 25th in scoring, 31st in points allowed and are leaning on sixth-round rookie Jake Luton at quarterback. If Pittsburgh doesn't make the mistake of overlooking the Jags like it did Dallas, it should win handily.
Cleveland is more of a challenge because it is a talented squad. However, the Browns were outclassed in their first meeting with the Steelers, losing 38-7. Cleveland has also traditionally struggled against Ben Roethlisberger, owning a woeful 2-24-1 record against him.
The Browns and Steelers will meet in the season finale Jan. 3. If Pittsburgh is undefeated at that point, you can bet that Big Ben and the rest of the starters will be on the field to chase history.
5. Washington Football Team
3 of 7
At first blush, the Washington Football Team might seem like another guaranteed win. The D.C. squad has won just two contests and will start Alex Smith at quarterback for the foreseeable future. Smith hasn't started a game since his gruesome leg injury in 2018.
However, Smith is an experienced veteran, and Washington's defense matches up well against Pittsburgh. While the team has struggled against the run (128.6 yards allowed per game), it ranks first against the pass (185.6), fifth overall (314.3) and 11th in points allowed (23.5).
Washington also features a fearsome pass rush that has produced the fourth-most sacks (27) on the season.
If Washington can frustrate Roethlisberger, it can play spoiler. The Cowboys contained Big Ben through much of Week 9, and the rest of the offense struggled as a result. The Steelers averaged just 2.6 yards per carry against the Cowboys' 31st-ranked rush defense.
The real challenge for Washington could be doing what Dallas didn't—preventing Roethlisberger from playing hero in the final quarter.
.jpg?w=256 "Colts Jaguars Football")
4. Indianapolis Colts
4 of 7
Defensively, the Indianapolis Colts will be more of a challenge for Pittsburgh than Washington. The unit is solid across the board, ranking third in run defense, third in pass defense, first overall and third in points allowed. The Colts have also allowed the fewest total yards per game (290).
The challenge will be putting up points against Pittsburgh's own elite defense. The Steelers rank sixth overall and fourth in points allowed.
Quarterback Philip Rivers has been an above-average game manager, but he has been mistake-prone. The veteran has tossed interceptions in five games this season, including two in a Week 1 loss to the Jags and two in a Week 5 defeat to the Browns.
The Colts aren't loaded at wide receiver either, with Zach Pascal leading the team with just 297 yards through the air.
If Indianapolis is going to knock off the Steelers, it will likely need to depend on Jonathan Taylor and Jordan Wilkins to keep things close by grinding it out in the running game. The Steelers are accustomed to winning close contests, though.
Either way, this one should be a defensive struggle.
3. Cincinnati Bengals
5 of 7
Why rank Cincinnati over Indianapolis when the Colts have beaten the Bengals? For one, Cincy will get two shots at Pittsburgh over the final eight weeks. More importantly, the team has Joe Burrow under center.
Burrow has progressed beyond being a dangerous rookie with upside. He's playing like a top-10 quarterback and has shown that he can keep his team competitive against virtually anyone.
"His assimilation to the game, his mindset, his thought process, his ability to make plays reminds me a lot of Andrew Luck," former Bengals great Boomer Esiason said, per Geoff Hobson of the team's official website.
When the Bengals are supporting Burrow with good, complementary football, they can be dangerous. Just ask the Tennessee Titans, whose second loss of the season was to Cincinnati in Week 8.
The challenge will be nullifying Pittsburgh's pass rush. The Steelers have rattled many a quarterback by bringing Bud Dupree and T.J. Watt off the edge. Burrow has already been sacked 28 times this season.
If the Bengals can keep Burrow relatively clean, though, these two games could become shootouts. If that happens and Burrow is the last one holding the ball, Cincinnati could notch its first win over Pittsburgh since 2015.
It's also worth noting that there's at least a chance Roethlisberger won't play in Week 10. He was placed on the reserve/COVID-19 list Tuesday, and while it's possible he will be able to return five days after he last had contact with tight end Vance McDonald, who tested positive for the virus Monday, the situation bears watching.
2. Buffalo Bills
6 of 7
When Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen is on, he's virtually unstoppable.
He proved as much in Week 9 against the Seattle Seahawks, passing for 415 yards, rushing for 14 more and scoring four total touchdowns. It marked the second time this season that Allen has passed for 400-plus yards with three touchdowns, no interceptions and a passer rating of at least 130.
According to NFL Research, Allen is the first player in the Super Bowl era to have two such games in a single campaign.
The Bills are a dangerous 7-2 squad, but they tend to go as Allen does. They got blown out by the Titans and the Kansas City Chiefs during arguably his two worst games of the season.
If Allen struggles, the Steelers will have a good shot of remaining undefeated when they go to Buffalo. They may be aided by the fact that they'll be playing in prime time, as both of the Bills' losses have come in front of a national audience.
The Bills have the firepower to turn things into a shootout, and in a back-and-forth affair, it'll be hard to bet against Allen if he's bringing his A-game.
1. Baltimore Ravens
7 of 7
The Steelers and the Baltimore Ravens go together toothpaste and orange juice. When they get together it's usually nasty.
"There's no bigger rivalry in professional sports, in my opinion, than this matchup," Ravens defensive end Calais Campbell told reporters before the last meeting.
The Ravens hold a 13-10 edge since 2010, though it must be noted that Roethlisberger didn't play in either matchup last season. There's simply no telling who will come out on top in any given Steelers-Ravens contest.
Pittsburgh won the first matchup of the season, though they only escaped when Lamar Jackson's last-second pass was knocked away at the Steelers goal line.
Baltimore actually dominated the game in time of possession (35:22 vs. 24:38), first downs (25 vs. 19), rushing yards (265 vs. 48) and total yards (457 vs. 221). However, the Ravens also turned the ball over four times and committed nine penalties on the afternoon.
Ravens mistakes allowed the Steelers to walk away with a victory the first time around, but Pittsburgh cannot count on miscues in the rematch. This is a game that the world will be watching—it's the NFL's Thanksgiving nightcap—and it's one that the Steelers absolutely can lose.
.jpg?w=480 "Colts Jaguars Football")
.png?w=480)
